Name: Adriana Ceric
Program: Civil Engineering
Degree you are studying toward: Bachelor of Applied Science (Engineering)
Expected year of graduation: 2026
Institution: University of Waterloo
Email: Send Email
Fun Facts About Me
If your best friend had to describe you in 10 words or less, what would they say?:Driven, curious, enthusiastic and always enjoys a hearty laugh.
Share one fun fact about yourself: I like black jellybeans!
What do you want to accomplish in the next 10 years?: Besides my job and eventually getting a P.Eng, I hope to leverage my engineering profession towards helping others, like helping design and build homes for Canadian indigenous communities! Waterloo has a design team called Warrior Home dedicated to projects like these so I’m super excited to join that! I’d also like to visit at least 3 new countries, be an active role model for women in engineering/construction and make lots of new friends along the way.
The most inspiring engineer I know is ....... Because ........?: My mom! She is a structural engineer. When I drive by different cities, I get to see all of the cool structures she’s designed. It’s super inspiring to see the lasting impact she has on the world as an engineer, and I hope to emulate that.
Profile Questions
Why did you choose your program of study?: Cities fascinate me; they are centers for innovation and growth. Growing up, I have always noticed problems in how my community was laid out and I was keen on contributing to the sector. I also always wanted to be Bob the Builder as a kid! I used to watch those shows on repeat and imagined myself building cool things like bridges and towers during my career. 10 years later, my aspirations still haven’t changed!
What has been your favourite course (in Engineering) and why?: I generally like any kind of physics, especially the mechanics that go into supporting and building structures. Civil engineering has a lot of physics-related courses to teach us how the world works, how things move, and why buildings don’t fall over during a storm! I love these courses in particular as they are usually more hands on an intuitive. Sometimes, the field can be more theoretical, like quantum physics (topics like superposition are mind boggling!) Either way, the subject constantly fascinates me!
What has been the best part of your Engineering education to date?: My favourite part is definitely the perfect blend between technical and creative aspects of the degree. At university, I have the opportunity to partake in design challenges (like make bridges), go out on the field to survey land and construction projects, participate in design teams (I’m part of the Canadian Hyperloop team!) and take part in unique engineering traditions like wearing coveralls, dying skin purple and getting an iron ring upon graduating!
What do you hope to do after you graduate?: I’m honestly still deciding (engineering opens doors to so many opportunities), but I’m leaning into transportation technology sector. I imagine myself merging civil engineering and emerging. technologies like generative design to help create the cities of the future! What I like about civil engineering is that it’s so broad, so I can also choose to go into the structural, geological or the water resources field!